The Compound was less than three miles up the road from the Arnou estate. Tristan’s mansion and the lands surrounding it went on for miles. Or maybe it just seemed that way. In comparison to the Caedmon village, the terrain was flatter with more valleys and meadows. While living on Caedmon land, I had come to expect the mountains and back-country wilderness. In a sense, I missed it, but there was nowhere else I'd rather be than with Tristan. The wolf spirit inside of me felt the same way. Even when I was enjoying my freedom as an independent woman, I yearned for something more. A lifelong companion. Someone who I could tell anything without fear. Someone who wouldn’t use me for my powers. That lifelong companion came to me in the form of Tristan Arnou.

When I wasn’t working out of the museum, I came out to the Compound to get to know the wolves who called Tristan their Alpha. Coincidentally, they were no different from the shifters under the leadership of my half-brother, Devin Caedmon. We were the same. Two packs who wished to co-exist peacefully with humans as we had done for centuries.

“Good,” Luna said, pushing my elbow up a bit and repositioning my arm. “Don’t worry about speed right now. Work on perfecting your form.”

I performed a series of hook punches as Luna looked on.

I'd met Luna during the first few weeks after I moved in with Tristan. The doctor had just removed me from bedrest following my fall from the tree. While out getting exercise, I had bumped into her on a running trail. I had seen her violet eyes before somewhere. Probably in a vision. The confusing thing was that sometimes I couldn’t decipher if my visions were of the past or the future. Sometimes I couldn’t decipher the meanings at all. Most of the time, I didn’t realize my visions meant something until the vision coincided with reality. I was certain of something—I hadn’t met Luna by accident. She was meant to be in my life.

Luna was part of something great. A small part of a strong pack. Apparently, there were many levels of shifters in Tristan's pack. His most trusted men, such as Brian Hexel and Dinsel Nguyen, were Enforcers who worked right alongside him in both COBRA's dealings and pack matters. Other than Luna's crew, there were dozens more that specialized in hunting, tracking, and interrogation among other things.

In Luna Yanova’s case, she was skilled at tracking and fighting. Luna was an Elite in Tristan’s pack and had just been recruited for the new unit which was tasked to roundup and capture Jovan’s converted wolves.

Even still, Tristan's network ran deeper than Elites and Enforcers. Not only did he have his pack, but he also had a network of humans whose jobs were to carry out the duties of COBRA. They received rankings just like the shifters in the pack, but they operated more like a mafia. Except Tristan didn’t like his organization being referred to as a mob or a mafia even though that’s what he technically ran.

His family ties and connections ran so deep, and I assumed that it'd probably take me a lifetime to decipher it all. For the most part, he wasn't running a one-person show. He used all of his resources, including humans and shifters, at his disposal to strengthen the network, ensure seamless operations between his legitimate and illegitimate businesses, and maximize profits. He was born into this. COBRA, the network, the Arnou pack…these affiliations weren’t something that could just go away with the snap of a finger.

“Where’s your mind at today?” Luna nudged me. “Not with your body, that’s for sure. Mind and body must be one.”

I wiped some sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand.

”Tristan was away for a couple of days. I worried about him,” I said. ”I guess I'm still worried about him.”

“Tristan will be fine.” Luna used her hand to shade the sun from her eyes and peered at me. “It’s you I’m worried about. Come on. Let’s take a break.”

Luna had become my best friend in the short amount of time we knew each other. When I asked her to teach me to fight and train me as an Elite, she was hesitant at first. No one could train alongside an Elite unless Tristan approved it. It took me a couple of days to convince her that I only wanted to learn for fun.

”Do you think Tristan knows about you training me?” I asked once we were on the trail.

Luna gave me a knowing look. ”You know he does. I didn't say anything, but nothing goes on in the pack without his knowledge.”

I shrugged. “He hasn’t said anything to me.”

“Probably because he wants you happy, and he wants you right here on his estate. Why would he stop you from doing what you want to do while you’re here?”

”True. I'm not bored, that's for sure. There's so much to do. Maybe he thinks I might leave in favor of being on Caedmon lands, so that's why he hasn't said anything.”

“Or maybe he thinks he'll have to chase you down again as he did for several years,” Luna teased.

“Ah…yes…but I was only working up his appetite a bit. I’m worth the wait, but I wanted to make sure he really wanted it,” I countered.

We laughed.

“You know…I was talking to my Enforcer this morning. He asked me how long I was going to train you for,” Luna said as we walked across the courtyard to a nearby bench.

”And?” I sat down and pulled a thermos of water from my tote bag.

“I told him it was none of his business.”

“You told me you weren’t allowed to talk back to your Enforcers,” I said.

“True. But I’m lucky I have the Alpha’s mate on my side,” she said. “He has this idea that you’ll ask to join our tournaments one day and cheat with your magic.”

“Is that what he thinks?” I chuckled, shaking my head.

Luna nodded. “You’re a good fighter. A natural. Even when you don’t cheat with your magic. I would almost say it’s in your blood.”

I smiled. “It is. I’m the bastard daughter of a former Caedmon Alpha, remember? But I have a good trainer too. You know…I don’t want to jeopardize your relationship with your Enforcer. If you have to stop training me…”

Luna waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t mind him. All the Enforcers are a bit competitive and demanding. They have to be to keep their ranks.”

I sighed.

”Now, what is it you're so worried about? You're not getting cold feet about the mating ceremony, are you?”

“No. Not about the ceremony.”

“Good. Because Tristan loves you. I mean, he adores you. Last month, when you came to watch the tournament with him, he wasn’t even watching us fight. We were vying for his attention and his approval, but he was staring at you. He worships the ground you walk on. We’ve never seen our Alpha that way. Some of us have never even seen him smile.”

I blushed. “Yes, I know, but I’m sure there were others before me. Before we found each other. He had the…what does this pack call them…Enola. But he told me that he let all of his Enola go once it was confirmed about us.”

“I’m going to tell you a secret, but you have to promise never to tell anyone,” Luna said.

“Okay…”

“You can’t get mad either. Very few people know this. I only tell you because you’re possibly the only one left on Earth who’ll know Tristan from the inside out. When no one else understands him, you’ll know his true intentions.”

“I promise not to get mad or tell anyone.”

”I was ten years old when I learned what the true definition of an Enola was. Unlike the Caedmon pack, the Arnou men were said to keep many women. From our history logs, most Arnou men never found their true mates. I heard rumors that the elders concluded that this was a curse that came about as a result of the Arnou line splitting off from Caedmon-kind. They were cursed from ever finding their true mates.”

“Interesting,” I proclaimed.

“Yes. Just think about. Arnou men have huge sex drives, and they’re extremely picky. Even with the way he runs the pack. He wants things done his way or no way at all.”

“From what I’ve reviewed of Tristan’s family heritage, I don’t recall that any of their Alphas met their true mates. For decades, their marriage unions were based on business decisions. Or in the case of Tristan's mother and father…to save face…so that Tristan wouldn't be born a bastard. And that's why they had the Enola. To please them in the absence of a true mate.”

“The practice of keeping Enola started to fade out right around the time Thibaud Sr. passed away. Of all the Arnou men I learned about, I would say that both Thibaud Sr. and Jr. were the most honorable. I see the same values in Tristan. You bring them out in him. I can’t say the same about his father though.”

I swallowed my discomfort, recalling the stories Tristan told me about how Anderson Arnou handled things.

“Anyway, certain girls in the Arnou pack are called upon just like the boys at an early age. Your birthright and family name usually determine where you stand within the pack. There are some families whose sons and daughters already have a place among Tristan’s Elites if they so choose that route and provided they pass the rigorous tests and take an oath which is an entirely separate deal from pledging to the pack. Other families aren’t so lucky. They lead semi-normal lives. They pledge themselves to the pack and just go about their daily routine like humans. I guess that’s okay for some. My mom had this idea that she wanted me to be important, so at the first opportunity, she sent me to the Arnou mansion to shadow one of the Enola. That was back when Tristan's father was still living.”

“But you were only ten…” I whispered.

“Yes. Something else about Arnou men is that they tend to go for women much younger than them. Don’t get me wrong though. The Arnou men of this century only took young women who were of age. So, that first day, I shadowed an Enola who happened to belong to Tristan's father. She would go into his bedroom as the family was having dinner and prepare things for him. His bath. His clothes. Whatever. That night he came to the room, and he was drunk—”

“But wait! Anderson and Tristan’s mother were married. They were together then, right?”

”Right. See what I mean about Anderson and Tristan being opposites. Tristan's father was a fool. He was arrogant, and he had a nasty temper. Let's just say that Tristan's mother knew about the Arnou curse. I suppose she could've put her foot down and forbade it, but like I said…Anderson was the devil. So here I was, ten years old. The Enola made me wait outside the door while they were having sex. When it was all over, she left the room, and we took his dirty clothes down for the maids who worked in the laundry room. It was only day one…and I already knew I could never be that. By day two when I met Tristan…I was certain I would never be an Enola. I would run away if I had to.”

“What did Tristan do with his Enola?”

“I was still shadowing the first Enola, but they all worked together to keep the Arnou men happy. My Enola went into Tristan's room to help another steam his clothes. I believe there was a function that night or some important guest coming out. While the Enola were fidgeting with the steamer, in comes Tristan without a smile on his face. He looked pissed off. Right on his heels was a third Enola. She says, ‘Tristan, your father sent me to help you with your pent-up anger issues.’ He said nothing. Just walked over to his closet and began sorting through some blazers and practically ignored her. As soon as he turns around, she bends down in front of him, grabs his fly, but he pulls her hands away. ‘Keep your hands off me,’ he says. ‘But your father said I’m not to leave this room until you’ve fucked me.’ Tristan then points to the door and says, ‘Leave now.’ Of course, she protests, but by this time Tristan had started to rush us all out of the room. I’ll never forget his words. They were harsh words, but they were true words.”

“What did he say?” I asked.

“He said, ‘Get out. All of you. I don’t fuck whores. I will never fuck any of you. Put my clothes and shoes away. Tidy up my room. Beat the dust off my curtains. Say nothing. Never offer yourself to me again. I don’t want any of you.’”

“Oh…”

“Tristan pretty much broke the custom. There are still some who believe that the women who he referred to as Enola and on occasion let enter his room were there to please him sexually, but that’s not true. As far as I know. He wasn’t into keeping women for sexual pleasure. He used them as maids. I’ve even heard one account in which he sent one of his Enola to execute an enemy. They had duties just like us Elites and his Enforcers, and they were well taken care of. Tristan pays all his men and women well. It doesn’t matter if they’re a street rat or an associate in the COBRA network.”

I shrugged. “So, then I have nothing to worry about, right?”

“Not unless you’re afraid of a wolf with a wild sex drive that only wants you in his bed. I’d say mission accomplished and curse broken. Good for you. Some of us aren’t so lucky though.”

“You’ll find your mate, Luna. I know you will.”

“Hmmm, is that a hint of what you see in my future?” she asked.

“You know what I see in your future? German chocolate bars and marzipan. Come on.” I got up from the bench. ”I'm expecting a shipment today, and I hear the mail truck down the road.”

Luna frowned. “I don’t hear anything.”

”Sixth sense,” I merely said.

We moved away from the courtyard and headed toward the Arnou estate.

I had made a friend in Luna. I could only hope that one day, I would be well received and trusted in the Arnou pack. Just like they trusted their Alpha to lead them. I concluded that every pack member here wanted Tristan’s approval—just like any devoted wolf would expect from his Alpha.

Yet, I had plans for our future. The future of the pack. And if I hoped to see my plan through one day, I needed to be a supportive mate. I somehow believed that this meant that I’d have to take on more than just a domestic role. I was never the kind of woman to sit back and watch the men get their hands dirty, but Tristan knew this all along. I was more than just the mate of the Alpha. I was going to set the course for the future of the pack.